Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Multi-Biomarker Responses of Asian Clam Corbicula fluminea (Bivalvia, Corbiculidea) to Cadmium and Microplastics Pollutants

Researchers exposed Asian clams to cadmium, microplastics, and their mixtures, then measured a battery of biomarkers including oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and neurotoxicity indicators. They found that the combined exposure to cadmium and microplastics produced interactive effects that differed from exposure to either contaminant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modify the toxicity of heavy metals in freshwater bivalves, highlighting the importance of studying pollutant mixtures rather than individual contaminants.

2021 Water 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Coexposure to microplastic and arsenic induces prooxidative situation in Laeonereis culveri (Annelida, Polychaeta)

Researchers exposed the marine polychaete Laeonereis culveri to microplastics alone, arsenic alone, or both combined and found that co-exposure produced an additive prooxidative effect — increasing reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage beyond either pollutant alone.

2025 Toxicology Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and arsenic speciation in edible bivalves from the coast of China: Distribution, bioavailability, and human health risk

This study examined both microplastic and arsenic contamination in oysters and mussels from the Chinese coastline, finding that the two pollutants coexist and interact. Oysters contained about 58 microplastic particles per gram, and the size of microplastics influenced which forms of arsenic were present. The findings highlight food safety concerns, since people who eat shellfish may be exposed to both microplastics and arsenic simultaneously.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and benzoanthracene on Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum

Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and a toxic organic pollutant (benzo[a]anthracene) on Manila clams. The study found that when the pollutant was present alongside microplastics, the clams showed more severe stress responses than from either contaminant alone. Evidence indicates that microplastics can act as carriers for harmful chemicals, potentially amplifying their toxic effects on marine shellfish.

2023 Chemosphere 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effect of arsenate and microplastics and its toxicity mechanism on lettuce

Researchers investigated the combined effects of arsenate and polystyrene microplastics on lettuce growth. The study found that microplastics adsorbed arsenate from irrigation water and enhanced its uptake by lettuce, with the synergistic effect causing greater oxidative stress and growth inhibition than either contaminant alone.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular Impacts of Dietary Exposure to Nanoplastics Combined or Not with Arsenic in the Caribbean Mangrove Oysters (Isognomon alatus)

Researchers exposed Caribbean mangrove oysters (Isognomon alatus) to three nanoplastic types alone and combined with arsenic and used transcriptomics to measure molecular impacts, finding that nanoplastic-arsenic combinations produced additive or synergistic disruption of detoxification, immune, and metabolic pathways.

2021 Nanomaterials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and arsenic on plants: Interactions, toxicity and environmental implications

This review examines how microplastics and arsenic interact in soil and their combined effects on plant health. When both pollutants are present together, they can have amplified toxic effects on plants, affecting growth, nutrient uptake, and stress responses. Since plants absorb these contaminants from soil, the interaction between microplastics and arsenic could increase human exposure to both pollutants through food crops.

2023 Chemosphere 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined effects of phenanthrene and polystyrene microplastics on oxidative stress of the clam (Mactra veneriformis)

Researchers tested the single and combined toxic effects of the pollutant phenanthrene and polystyrene microplastics on the clam Mactra veneriformis. The study found that both pollutants individually caused oxidative stress, but when combined, larger microplastics amplified the toxicity of phenanthrene, with phenanthrene remaining the dominant toxic factor in joint exposures.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects and metabolic response mechanisms of amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics and arsenic on Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers investigated the combined effects of amine-modified polystyrene nanoplastics and arsenic on a common freshwater cyanobacterium. They found that co-exposure intensified cellular stress, disrupted metabolic processes, and promoted the release of harmful toxins beyond what either pollutant caused individually. The findings reveal previously unrecognized risks to freshwater ecosystems when nanoplastics interact with heavy metal contaminants.

2025 Environmental Science Nano 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic alters the redox state and arsenic metabolization in the freshwater bivalve Limnoperna fortunei

Researchers exposed the freshwater mussel Limnoperna fortunei to polystyrene microplastics in combination with arsenic, finding that microplastics altered the bivalve's redox state and interfered with arsenic metabolization pathways. The results suggest microplastics can impair an organism's ability to convert toxic forms of arsenic to less toxic metabolites, worsening arsenic toxicity.

2023 Toxicology Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the effect of microparticles on bivalves: Exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes philippinarum to both microplastics and silt

Researchers exposed mussels and clams to polyethylene microplastics, natural silt particles, and a combination of both, finding that the mixture caused significantly worse mortality and oxidative stress than either substance alone. Clams were more sensitive to microplastic exposure than mussels, while mussels retained more microplastics in their tissues. The study reveals that the combined presence of natural sediment particles and microplastics in coastal waters creates synergistic harmful effects on filter-feeding shellfish that are greater than the sum of individual exposures.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Microplastics and Microcystin-LR Effect for Asian Clams (Corbicula fluminea) by a Metabolomics Approach

Researchers used a metabolomics approach to investigate the combined effects of microplastics and microcystin-LR on Asian clams, finding that co-exposure caused distinct metabolic responses compared to individual exposures. The study reveals mechanistic interactions between two co-occurring freshwater pollutants at the cellular metabolic level.

2023 Marine Biotechnology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Simultaneous exposure to microplastics and heavy metal lead induces oxidative stress, histopathological damage, and immune dysfunction in marine mussel Mytilus coruscus

When marine mussels were exposed to both microplastics and the heavy metal lead together, the combined effect was worse than either pollutant alone. The combination caused more severe tissue damage, higher oxidative stress, and greater immune system disruption, which is concerning because in real ocean environments, microplastics and heavy metals commonly occur together.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Immunotoxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons and microplastics alone or in combination to a bivalve species: Synergic impacts and potential toxication mechanisms

Marine mussels exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons and microplastics separately and together showed that combined exposure caused greater immune suppression and lysosomal damage than either stressor alone, identifying oxidative stress pathways as a key mechanism of joint toxicity.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 66 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastic and arsenate: From the view of biochemical process in wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.)

Researchers found that when wheat seedlings were exposed to both arsenic and polystyrene microplastics together, the microplastics reduced arsenic uptake in roots but dramatically increased arsenic transport to the above-ground parts of the plant — by up to 1,000%. This combined exposure caused more oxidative stress and damage to the plants' photosynthetic systems than arsenic alone. The findings suggest that microplastics in contaminated soil could increase how much toxic metal ends up in the edible parts of crops.

2024 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Immunotoxicity and neurotoxicity of bisphenol A and microplastics alone or in combination to a bivalve species, Tegillarca granosa

Researchers investigated the immunotoxicity and neurotoxicity of bisphenol A and microplastics, both alone and in combination, on the blood clam Tegillarca granosa. The study found that co-exposure to both pollutants produced significant impacts on immune and neural biomarkers, suggesting that the combined presence of microplastics and chemical contaminants may pose greater risks to marine invertebrates.

2020 Environmental Pollution 185 citations
Article Tier 2

Are mixtures of micro/nanoplastics more toxic than individual micro or nanoplastic contamination in the clam Ruditapes decussatus?

Researchers exposed clams to polystyrene nanoplastics and polyethylene microplastics, both separately and in combination, to test whether mixtures are more harmful. They found that nanoplastics accumulated more readily in clam tissues and that the mixture caused greater oxidative stress and cellular damage than either type of plastic alone. The study suggests that real-world exposure to multiple plastic particle sizes may be more harmful than exposure to a single type.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolated and combined toxicity of PVC microplastics and copper on Pinctada fucata martensii: Immune, oxidative, and metabolomics insights

Researchers studied the individual and combined toxic effects of PVC microplastics and copper on pearl oysters over 13 days. They found that combined exposure caused more severe immune suppression, oxidative damage, and metabolic disruption than either pollutant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics and heavy metals can interact to amplify their harmful effects on marine organisms.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics and different forms of arsenic on the zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio)

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics interact with different forms of arsenic and their combined effects on zebrafish embryos. The microplastics absorbed arsenic from the water and altered how the toxic metal accumulated in zebrafish tissues, changing its toxicity profile. The findings suggest that microplastics in the environment can modify how other pollutants affect living organisms, potentially making combined exposures more harmful than expected.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

The adsorption of arsenic on micro- and nano-plastics intensifies the toxic effect on submerged macrophytes

Researchers investigated how arsenic adsorbs onto microplastics of varying types and sizes, and how those particles affect underwater plants. They found that nanoplastics increased arsenic absorption in aquatic macrophytes by 36-47%, causing more severe leaf damage and oxidative stress than either contaminant alone.

2022 Environmental Pollution 64 citations